Heated game call

ABSTRACT

This invention is a game call having a barrel, an insert, a reed and a heating element disposed within or on either the barrel or the insert of the call to heat a portion of the call.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/793,149, filed Apr. 19, 2006.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is an improved game call. Game calls are widely used toattract wild game for hunting or observation. Many of these calls,including duck, goose, deer, and predator calls, are designed to be heldin a user's hand while air is forced into the call from the mouth of theuser, causing vibration of a reed within the call. In many cases, thesecalls are used in cold temperature conditions. The cold temperatures maycause moisture from the breath of the user to freeze the reed to theadjacent portions of the call—resulting in either no sound or veryunrealistic sound. This freezing of the reed is particularly an issue insituations where there are extended periods of nonuse of the call whilewaiting for game to approach within calling range.

In addition, in these cold conditions users need to keep their handswarm, and often wear gloves. The fabric of the gloves often has anoticeable and undesirable “muffling” effect on the sound of the call.

Game calls having a barrel, and insert, and a reed are well known. Anexample of this type of call is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,678. Theterminology used to describe the components of the call may vary, but asused in this description “barrel” refers to the portion of the callcontacted by the lips of the user and the “insert” refers to the portioninserted within the barrel. The “reed” refers to the vibrating,sound-generating portion of the call of and may be made up of one ormore individual reed elements. Double and triple reeds are well knownand all descriptions of a “reed” in this application are intended torefer to single, double, triple, or other multiple element reedassemblies.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,878,032 describes a prior art approach to addressing theissue of game call performance in cold conditions. This patent describesan insular wrap to be placed around the barrel of the call. A pouch islocated within the wrap and a separate heat pack is inserted into thatpouch to warm the call. Unfortunately, this device is awkward to use,adds significantly to the bulk of the call, and may affect the qualityof sound made by the call. In addition, in this device the heat isapplied to the exterior surface of the barrel. If the objective is toprevent freezing of the reed, the heat applied by this device must beinefficiently conducted through the barrel to the inner portion of thecall where the reed is located.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a heated game call that prevents freezing ofthe internal portions of the call and, alternately or additionally,provides a source of heat to reduce the need for a user to wear gloves.One or more heating elements are located within or on either the barrelor insert of the call. Electric current provided by a battery energizesthe heating element and warms the adjacent portions of the call.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, mouth-operated game calls are typically constructedwith two primary parts—a generally cylindrical barrel (2) with acylindrical hole through the center (4) and an insert (6) which isinserted within the hole (4) in the barrel. The insert includes a reed(8). As described above, reed (8) may include one or more individualreed elements. A hole through the insert (10) allows the passage of airthrough the insert and across the reed. The user blows into the end ofthe barrel opposite the insert, and the breath causes vibration of thereed (8) as it passes out of the call through the hole in the insert(10). Variations on this configuration are also used, and this inventionin not limited to this particular game call configuration.

In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the barrel (2) of the callis made of a molded plastic material. A heating element (11) is disposedwithin the barrel (2) of the call. The plastic material is electricallynonconductive and the heating element may be located within the materialwithout separate insulation. Suitable heating elements are well known inthe art and generate heat as a result of the electrical resistance ofthe element. In this embodiment the heating element is molded into thebarrel of the call at the time of fabrication of the barrel. Dependingupon the desired application (preventing freezing of the reed, warmingthe user's hands, or both) the heating element may be located nearer theexterior surface or interior surface of the barrel. For example, in afreezing prevention application the element should be located nearer theinterior surface of the barrel and should be approximately adjacent tothe reed when the barrel and the insert are assembled.

Alternatively, the heating element may be attached to the interiorsurface of the barrel or to the surface on the insert. In thisconfiguration the heating element should be covered with a waterresistant coating.

Electrical current is provided to the heating element via wires (13),resulting in the heating of the barrel of the call. Electrical currentis provided by batteries that may be contained within a compartmentwithin a portion of the call or within in a cylindrical housing separatefrom the call. As shown in FIG. 2, the separate battery compartment (12)is attached to the same lanyard (14) as the call and is connected bywires (16) in the lanyard to the heating element in the game call. Inthe embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the wire connecting the battery pack tothe call passes inconspicuously through the lanyard. Lanyards made ofrope, leather, plastic, and other materials are often worn around auser's neck and are used to hold multiple game calls, and thisconfiguration makes it convenient to carry a suitable battery packconnected to the call. The size and shape of a battery pack containingone or two AA or C-cell batteries would be comparable in size and shapeto a typical game call worn on a lanyard. The connection of the batterypack to the call may be designed to be easily disconnected andreconnected to facilitate changing of battery packs as necessary.

As shown in FIG. 2, a switch (18) is also provided to permitdeactivation of the heating element without removal of the battery.Temperature sensors, regulators, and control circuits well known in theart may be included to improve control of the temperature of the call.

As shown in FIG. 3, in another embodiment the heating element (11) maybe included within the insert (6) of the call. In this situation theheating element (11) would generally be intended to prevent freezing ofthe reed and the heating element would be located in a portion of theinsert near the reed. The heating element could be molded within theplastic insert or could be installed on a surface of the insert thatwould be located inside the barrel near the reed when the call isassembled. In this embodiment the battery compartment (12) could belocated in the separate housing described above or, as shown in FIG. 3,could be located within the insert. A small (AAA) size battery will fitwithin a game call insert without difficulty.

In using the preferred embodiment of this heated game call, the userwears a lanyard (14) containing the heated game call and the batterycompartment (12). When the device is activated by inserting the batteryin the battery compartment (12) and completing the circuit with theswitch (18), electrical current passes through a heating element (11)molded into the barrel (2) of the call and maintains the interior of thecall at a temperature above freezing, and, if desired, maintains theexterior of the barrel at a comfortable temperature. The user may holdthe call in an un-gloved hand and, when he or she wishes to call game,blow into the barrel of the call to make the appropriate sounds. Aftercalling, any moisture in the call does not freeze and the call remainsready for immediate use at the next appropriate time, even if theambient temperature is below freezing and an extended period of timepasses before game is again within calling range.

1. A game call comprising a barrel, an insert, a reed, a heating elementand a battery compartment.
 2. The game call in claim 1 in which theheating element is disposed within the barrel of the call.
 3. The gamecall in claim 1 in which the heating element is disposed within theinsert of the call.
 4. The game call in claim 2 in which the batterycompartment is located within the barrel of the call.
 5. The game callin claim 2 in which the battery compartment is located in a separatehousing.
 6. The game call in claim 3 in which the battery compartment islocated within the insert of the call.
 7. The game call in claim 3 inwhich the battery compartment is located in a separate housing.
 8. Thegame call in claim 1 further comprising wires creating a circuitconnecting the battery compartment with the heating element.
 9. The gamecall in claim 8 further comprising a switch for disconnected the circuitformed by said wires between the battery compartment and the heatingelement.
 10. The game call in claim 5 further comprising a lanyardhaving wires disposed within the lanyard and connected to the batterycompartment.
 11. The game call in claim 7 further comprising a lanyardhaving wires disposed within the lanyard and connected to the batterycompartment.
 12. The game call in claim 1 in which the heating elementis located on a surface of the barrel of the call.
 13. The game call inclaim 1 in which the heating element is located on a surface of theinsert of the call.
 14. The game call in claim 12 in which the batterycompartment is located within the barrel of the call.
 15. The game callin claim 12 in which the battery compartment is located in a separatehousing.
 16. The game call in claim 13 in which the battery compartmentis located within the insert of the call.
 17. The game call in claim 13in which the battery compartment is located in a separate housing. 18.The game call in claim 12 further comprising wires creating a circuitconnecting the battery compartment with the heating element.
 19. Thegame call in claim 18 further comprising a switch for disconnected thecircuit formed by said wires between the battery compartment and theheating element.
 20. The game call in claim 12 further comprising alanyard having wires disposed within the lanyard and connected to thebattery compartment.